A rocking type exercising apparatus for providing a user with an exercising effect similar to a horse riding is an easy-to-use exercising apparatus that is widely used among users of various generations from children to elderly persons and is spread to general households as well as rehabilitation purpose medical facilities. Examples of the conventional rocking type exercising apparatus are disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent No. 3394890 and Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 2001-286578.
Japanese Patent No. 3394890 discloses a prophylactic training apparatus for lumbago that can realize a rhythmical rocking motions using a parallel mechanism having a leeway of movement in six different direction or the like. Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 2001-286578 discloses a balance training apparatus that can realize a forward/backward rocking motion and a leftward/rightward rocking motion using a motor and a link.
The balance training apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 2001-286578 enables a movable unit to merely perform the combination of a forward/backward rocking motion and a leftward/rightward rocking motion but is not able to comply with the need for a user to enjoy a more effective exercise (a passive exercise).
In contrast, the prophylactic training apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3394890 is capable of causing a movable unit to make a leeway of movement in six different direction and therefore is able to meet the afore-mentioned need. However, the prophylactic training apparatus is problematic in terms of cost and is hard to drive in a controlled manner. The prophylactic training apparatus allows a movable unit to merely perform the combination of a forward/backward rocking motion and a leftward/rightward rocking motion.